It is known to provide automotive interiors with various trim assemblies to improve the aesthetic appearance of the automotive interior and for the comfort and convenience of vehicle occupants. Examples of these interior trim assemblies include instrument panels, armrests, door trim, door scuffs, and consoles. The trim assemblies typically comprise a relatively rigid substrate member having a front surface facing the interior of the vehicle and a rear surface opposite the front surface which is adapted to face a vehicle support, such as a vehicle door for example. The rigid substrate provides structural support for the trim assembly and defines the general shape of the trim assembly. Many trim assemblies further include a cover member of leather, cloth, or vinyl disposed over the front surface of the rigid substrate to provide a soft touch and aesthetically pleasing appearance to the interior of the vehicle.
In order to secure the trim assemblies to the vehicle, connectors, such as trim clips, are typically attached to the rear surface of the trim assembly prior to securement of the trim assembly to the vehicle support. The trim clips engage with corresponding apertures provided in the vehicle support to secure the trim panel thereto.
Known trim clips typically include a head portion formed at a proximal end thereof which is configured to be secured to the rear surface of the trim assembly and a shank portion which extends from the head portion toward a distal end of the trim clip. The distal end of the trim clip may include projections extending from the shank portion which are configured to pass through the corresponding apertures formed in the support member of the vehicle so as to secure the trim assembly thereto.
Typically, a seal is formed between the trim assembly and the vehicle support at the locations of the trim clips. To form these seals, automotive manufacturers will typically place a foam gasket around the shank of the trim clip so that the gasket creates a tight seal between the trim assembly and the vehicle support when the trim assembly is secured thereto. To this end, the gaskets are typically cut from a flat sheet of foam stock material and are provided with an adhesive on one surface thereof for attachment to the trim clip. The gasket is manually inserted onto and around the shank portion of the trim clip with the gasket adhered to a portion of the clip. Alternatively, the gasket may be loosely placed around the shank portion of the trim clip with the projections retaining the gasket on the clip prior to securement of the trim assembly with the vehicle support.
One drawback of this type of modular arrangement is that the foam gasket may not provide an effective seal, especially when the surface of the trim clip to which the gasket is adhered is irregular or otherwise not matching the generally planar surface of the gasket. This mismatch in contours may permit air, dust, moisture, and other contaminants to pass through gaps often created at the locations of the trim clips and eventually into the interior of the automobile. These contaminants may lead to occupant discomfort or eventually to the deterioration of the vehicle, such as through rusting. Furthermore, the gaps created at the location of the trim clips may expose the interior of the automobile to increased road, engine and vibration based noises. These noises tend to irritate the vehicle's occupants as conversation, listening to music, and other audio activities inside the vehicle become difficult.
Another drawback of the modular arrangement is that conventional methods for producing trim clips with foam gaskets are manufacturing intensive, requiring multiple operations, multiple parts, and manual labor to produce the desired end product. The increased operations, parts, and manual labor of this process contribute to increased manufacturing costs of the various trim assemblies. Also, the gasket may become detached from the trim clip prior to securement of the trim assembly with the vehicle support.
Therefore, a need exists for a trim clip and sealing gasket combination that overcomes these and other drawbacks of known trim clips for securing interior trim assemblies to an automotive interior.